Paju Medical Cluster Invites Applications for General Hospital Operator; Preferred Negotiation Partner to Be Selected Next Year

Paju City Takes First Step Toward Becoming a 'Global Bio-Innovation City'
Unique Application Structure Allows Hospital-Only Participation, Setting Paju Apart from Other Municipalities

Paju City in Gyeonggi Province is initiating a key procedure to attract a general hospital, one of the long-standing wishes of its citizens. On the 25th, the city announced that, starting from the 24th, Paju Medical Cluster Co., Ltd. has begun the process of inviting applications for a general hospital operator.

Medical cluster bird's-eye view. Provided by Paju City

The Paju Medical Cluster development project is a large-scale urban development initiative in Seopaedong 432, Paju, covering approximately 450,000 square meters. It will include 3,250 residential units, a general hospital, an innovative medical research complex (with the National Cancer Center Future Innovation Center scheduled to move in), and a bio-convergence complex. In particular, attracting a general hospital is expected to serve as a crucial first step in establishing the foundation for the Paju Medical Cluster, which aims to transform the city into a 'global bio-innovation city.'

The Paju Medical Cluster development project is structured so that profits generated from urban development and residential sales are reinvested in attracting a general hospital and the National Cancer Center. After a business agreement was signed in June 2020 to establish the National Cancer Center's Innovative Medical Research Center, a comprehensive development plan, including areas around the US military base, was finalized in December of the same year. The project appeared to gain momentum with the designation of the urban development zone and the establishment of a development plan in March 2022, followed by the completion of project approval negotiations with the Central Land Expropriation Committee in July 2022. However, from late 2022, the project was stalled for nearly two years due to external factors such as the aftermath of COVID-19, the war in Ukraine, and the global rise in inflation, which led to the worst construction market downturn. In December 2024, a construction company was finally secured and the implementation plan was approved. With the start of the urban development project at the end of October this year, the project has finally entered full-scale execution.

Paju Medical Cluster Co., Ltd. began accepting applications on the 24th and will receive submissions until June 2026, after which a preferred negotiation partner will be selected next year. Unlike other development projects, the Paju Medical Cluster ensures that the project operator completes all necessary permits and secures funding for hospital construction in advance through urban development and residential sales, thereby minimizing business and financial uncertainties for the hospital. This eliminates the need to form a consortium, enabling stable project execution. Paju City also plans to provide full support, including local tax reductions and various government subsidies.

Paju Mayor Kim Kyoungil stated, "We will mobilize all administrative resources to ensure that an excellent general hospital is selected in this public offering, which is a long-cherished wish of our 540,000 citizens and a key step in establishing an emergency medical system in northern Gyeonggi, so that we can provide high-quality medical services to our citizens."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.